Amazon Studios director Roy Price, who has a background in animation production, is moving into original comedy and family series development with an eye to making the best end results available on Amazon Instant Videos. He’s extending an invite to writers, animators and filmmakers around the world to submit their proposals here. “I hope that everyone with a terrific pilot script will upload it tomorrow,” says Price.

The best comedy and children’s series will be distributed through Amazon Instant Video, Amazon’s digital video streaming service.

Price says the new initiative is a response to filmmakers who expressed an interest in developing series.”Amazon custoers love TV,” he told me. “Who doesn’t? It’s a natural expansion.”

The first Amazon Studios directive, developing movies for sale to the studios, is a long gestation, with a few options but no movies heading for a studio green light. “Developing movies is a process,” says Price. “And so it takes time, whatever method you’re using. I’m not sure it’s more complicated than we expected.”

Amazon Instant Video customers love episodic TV, reminds Price. “Hopefully we’ll come up with some ideas and shows they respond well to as well.”

Price likes the idea of creating animation animatics to post at Amazon Studios for feedback, using his audience as an equivalent to Pixar’s writers’ room. (There’s no comparison.) He admits that production requires the participation of some experts and creators who know what they’re doing, but he wants to avoid appointing the next Irving Thalberg or Brandon Tartikoff as the guru in charge. He stands by the power of Amazon customer feedback as the strength of his new model. “They can lead us in our development,” he says.

While unlike the movie side of Amazon Studios, produced TV series will wind up on Amazon Instant Video, Price is open to partnerships.

Here’s how it works:

Each month, Amazon Studios intends to option one promising new project and add it to the development slate where it will be tested for viability with an audience. If Amazon Studios elects to produce a series, the creator will receive a $55,000 payment, up to 5 percent of Amazon’s revenues from toy and t-shirt licensing, and other royalties and bonuses. Amazon Studios’ production company, the People’s Production Company is signatory to the Writers Guild of America and to The Animation Guild, Local 839.

To submit, a project must have a five-page description, along with a 22-minute pilot script for comedies, or an 11-minute pilot script for children’s shows. Within 45 days of submission, Amazon Studios will either extend an option on the project for $10,000 or invite the creator to add the project to the Amazon Studios site. If a project is not optioned, creators may remove their idea from the Amazon Studios site or leave it to get community feedback.

Amazon Studios new series development is led by Joe Lewis, previously with 20th Century Fox and Comedy Central and Tara Sorensen, formerly with National Geographic Kids.

Amazon Studios launched in November 2010. Since then, more than 700 test movies and 7,000 scripts have been submitted and 15 movie projects are currently under development. Follow the Amazon Studios blog, Hollywonk for up to date news, tips on filmmaking and writing or insightful interviews with industry leaders.